The following is taken from the on-line version of The Observer which as shown, is from: http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/Archives/2011Archives/September162011/Belvidere%20Blessed/
Belvidere Blessed with Yes Vote From City Council
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
Father Brian A. Geary (left), pastor of St. James Church in Belvidere, leads parishioners in a rosary before several hundred marched to city hall before a council meeting to decide the fate of a zoning request for a proposed new church. (Observer photo by Penny Wiegert)
Architect’s drawings of a proposed new church in Belvidere sit on easels in the city council chambers during a Sept. 6 meeting. (Observer photo by Penny Wiegert)
Supporters and opponents of a new St. James Church in Belvidere await the start of the Sept. 6 city council meeting. (Observer photo by Penny Wiegert)
Two men pose with a sign urging a yes vote on the zoning changes. (Observer photo by Penny Wiegert)
Belvidere Blessed with Yes Vote From City Council
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
BELVIDERE—A sea of blue surrounded St. James Church as hundreds of parishioners donned “Say Yes” T-shirts and gathered for a prayer march from the church to city hall Sept. 6.
Parishioners of every age and color united in prayerful support of razing their current church and building a new one. The group walked three blocks to city hall, carrying an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a statue of the Virgin Mary, while singing and praying. As the sun began to set, the parishioners led by their pastor, Father Brian Geary, recited the rosary in English, then in Spanish, in a parking lot across the street from city hall where the Belvidere city council gathered to vote on zoning changes needed to allow the church construction to move forward.
Meanwhile, members of the community opposed to the construction project gathered to get a seat in the standing-room-only council chambers for what would be a somewhat contentious public meeting.
At issue that night was changing the zoning district of the current church parcel, which includes the rectory, from single family residential to institutional and for special use for indoor institutional use.
“There really is no unifying reason for the opposition. We feel this is good for the community,” Father Geary said. “How would it be bad for us to stay here? We bring our people together in religious procession for the future of Belvidere and racial harmony as children of our Father.”
“This is not about tearing the church apart. This is about a building. Our faith isn’t based on buildings,” said Don Schneider of St. James Knights of Columbus Council 735.
Some neighbors and community members opposed the changes, citing everything from safety, parking, access to sunlight and sentimentality as reasons to stop the project. About 20 people from both sides of the issue had signed up to speak to the council.
Some community members suggested that the Catholics in Belvidere would be better served by leaving the church as it stands and building a new parish on a 22-acre parcel northeast of Belvidere that was donated to the Diocese of Rockford, even though such a plan was not on the table before the council.
The plan is to build a church that seats 850 people to replace the current church which seats about 350, and to raze the rectory for a new parking lot. St. James is the only Catholic church in Boone County.
Parish capital campaign members and project engineers say the design has undergone several changes to meet city zoning and building codes.
Belvidere Mayor Frederic Brereton opened the meeting with a prayer ” for healing to a community fractured by opposing views.”
Before the public was allowed public was allowed to speak Alderman Mike Chamberlain read a letter reminding everyone to “remember the facts” of the issue before the council and not vote on emotion or try to dictate what the church should or could do.
The first zoning change received approval in favor of St. James with an 8-1 vote and one recusal and the second zoning change was approved with a 6 to 3 vote and one recusal. The vote was met with a standing ovation and lots of relieved parishioners.
“We went through this process and project as good and faithful Christians,” said Rodney Snyder, co-chair of the capital campaign. “We got blasted so we tried to fight back in a positive way … with prayer and a show of support.”
Snyder said the committee has collected $2.2 million in pledges and has $750,000 cash on hand for the project expected to cost about $5.5 million.
Project details, background and artist renderings of the St. James building project can be viewed at www.stjamesbelvidere.org
No comments:
Post a Comment